Tullamore woman to take up new role as CEO of major national body

TULLAMORE native, Fiona O’Malley has announced that she will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of Turn2Me after more than four years in the role, to take up the position of CEO of Sonas in February 2026.

Ms O’Malley, who has led Turn2Me through a period of significant growth and impact, will remain in her role over the coming months to support a smooth transition. During her tenure, Turn2Me strengthened its position as a national mental health charity, expanding access to free online counselling and support services at a time of growing demand for mental health care.

Ms O’Malley brings a broad background across journalism, communications, advocacy, law and leadership within the charity sector. She began her career in journalism, working with media outlets including Vogue, The Irish Times, The Sunday Times, and The Observer. After returning to Ireland in 2015 following more than four years in London, she took up a communications role with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).

She later served as Head of Communications for CMRF Crumlin, the charity supporting Crumlin Children’s Hospital, before moving on to World Vision Ireland, where she held the role of Director of Communications, Fundraising, Marketing, Irish Public Engagement and Advocacy. In 2021, alongside her professional career, O’Malley was called to the Bar after completing her legal studies at King’s Inns.

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Reflecting on her time at Turn2Me and her next chapter, Ms O’Malley said: “It has been a huge privilege to lead Turn2Me and to work alongside such a dedicated team supporting people’s mental health across Ireland. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together. I’m very excited about this new opportunity and about starting with Sonas, a charity that does such fantastic and vital work supporting women and children affected by domestic violence.”

Sonas is the largest domestic violence refuge group in Ireland and provides frontline services to women and children experiencing domestic abuse. The organisation is funded by the Department of Justice through Cuan, the national agency responsible for coordinating responses to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Turn2Me’s Board of Directors has thanked Ms O’Malley for her leadership and commitment, noting her contribution to strengthening the organisation’s governance, visibility, and service delivery. Details regarding succession planning will be announced in due course.

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